Bag spreader and holder



Dec. 27, 1949 N. SIEGMAN ETAL BAG SPREADER AND HOLDER Filed May 14, 1946I INVENTORS.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 BAG SPREADER AND HOLDER Nicholas Siegman and IvarJohnson, Cincinnati, Ohio; said Johnson assignor to said SiegmanApplication May 14, 1946, Serial No. 669,646

Claims.

This invention rel-ates to devices for spreading and holding bags.While, as will appear hereinafter, the invention is applicable to manyand varied uses in connection with bags, it is particularly useful inconnection with the filling of open mesh bags, such as are used bylaundries.

It is conventional in laundries to put a number of articles belonging toan individual customer into a single open mesh bag for Washing. The bagis closed and appropriately tagged with the customers number or otherindici-a, and then the entire bag is placed in the laundry machine andwashed.

The open mesh bags which are used for the above purpose in laundries areextremely flexible and must be supported adjacent the top and held openin some manner so that they may be filled. A great deal of time is lostin the bag filling operation.

With the above considerations in mind, it is an object of our inventionto provide a device which will, with a minimum of efiort on the part ofthe operator, spread and hold open a laundry bag so that it may befilled. It is another object of our invention toprovide a device asoutlined, in which the laundry bag can easily be removed from theholding means. It is a further object of our invention to provide adevice as outlined abovewhich is portable so that it may be moved aboutfrom work station to work station. Other ob- Jects of our inventioninclude the provision of a device of this character which will berelatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which will be durablein use, and simple in operation.

These and other objects of our invention which will be pointed out inmore detail hereinafter, or which will appear to one skilled in the artupon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe anexemplary embodiment.

Reference may be had to the drawings which form a part hereof, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away of a device according toour invention.

, Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken along the line 2,2, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial cross sectional view similar to Figure 2, butshowing the device in another stage of operation.

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view showing the device in use.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention, we provide what might betermed an open-sided bin structure mounted upon casters so that it maybe wheeled about at will. On the level with the top of said bin-likestructure, we provide a shelf-like extension and we provide a series ofpairs of hook elements on each side of said bin-like structure, one ofsaid sets of hooks being movable with respect to the other by means of afoot pedal.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we have shown an opensided bin-like structure composed of a series of angle membersconstituting a framework, indicated generally at II]. This framework ispreferably mounted upon caster wheels II in any desired manner. Theframework It] is provided with smooth surfaces on the inner side whichmay be formed from sheets of any suitable material I2. These bin facesI2 may be of galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel, plastic, or othersuitable material. Thus, in the region to be occupied by the bag therewill be no projecting corners which might catch on and tear the materialbeing loaded into the bag.

One one side of the structure Ill at the top thereof, we provide aframework extension I3 which is provided with a suitable surfacing I4which may be made from the same material as. the bin faces I2. Themember I4 thus consti-- tutes a shelf upon which the material to beloaded into the bag may be placed for sorting, counting. or checking.

At the top of one of the bin walls as indicated in Figure 2 at I5, weprovide a series of pairs of fixed hook members indicated at I6 inFigure 4. It will be clear that any suitable number of pairs of hookmembers may be used, and for purposes of illustration, we have shownthree such pairs. The pairs of hook members are pointed in oppositedirections as clearly shown in Figure 4. With three pairs of hooks, itwill be convenient to use the inner pair for small bags, the middle pairfor intermediate size bags, and the outer pair for large-bags.

At the top of the other bin face, as at H in Figure 2, we provide aseries of pairs of hooks I8 similar in all respects to the hooks I6 andsimilarly arranged. The hooks I8 are, however, mounted on a separateangle member I9. Fastened to the angle I9 in any suitable manner are theguide rods 20, which are supported in holes in the framework member l0and in another transverse angle member I2I. The angle member I9 carryingthe hook member I! is thus free to move toward the right in Figures 1,2, and 3 to bring the hooks I8 closer to the hooks I6.

The members 20 are connected by a bar 22 to which they are securelyfastened in any suit- 3 able manner, and compression springs 23surrounding the members 20 between the framework In and the transversemember 22 tend to urge the member 22 together with the rods 20 and theangle 19 and the hooks l8 toward the left of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive.A chain or other suitable flexible connection indicated at 23 isfastened to the member 22 in any suitable manner, such. as indicated at242 The chain 23. passes over a pulley 25'; suitably fastened to theframe In or as by means of brackets or the like 26. The chain 23 isfastened at its lower end at 21 to a lever 28 which is pivotedtoanlextension 29 of the frame, as at 30. A treadle member 3| connectedto the lever 28, as at- 34. end, the lever 3| carries a pedal 35.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the device will beclear. When the operator desires. to; fill a laundry bag,- .he will.depressmhe.

35".. to swing; upwardly; causing; the lever 28: to. pivot in;acounterclockwise.manner, and causing the mintsll-tomovedownwardly.Downward motion of, the-point 2T-will, .by means of-the chain 23.produce motiomto-the right .of the member 22, and-"its. associatedparts,and will cause the hook. members l8to approach thehookmernbers 16;,as-seen inEi-gure 3'. The operator will then, while. continuing, todepress the pedal 35; turn" theupper edge. of the laundry .bag; overtheappropriate. pair of hooks; l3 1 and a corresponding. pair ofhOOkSi'lfi. Then the: operator will remove foot from'the'pedal. 35,-whereupon the assembly; carryingrthehooks l8-will. move toward the lei-tof- Figures 1 to 3-, inclusive, under theinLfl-uenceofthe-.-compressiorr springs 23'. The."

bagwill then. be heldfirml-y; in opened condition,

as bestsseen i-neFigurelr After the bag is filled; pressure on the pedal35 will again causethe hook members ill-to. approach. the hookmembers46,. and; the-operator can simply lift the bag off the hooks.

Although we have desi-gneds.this-specific em"- bodimentior use -inlaundries for the.-pu1poses described; it will be clear: that, eitherwithout modification; or, with minor modifications, this device will beof utility for spreadingandf holding .bagsforfilli-ngin avarietyoffields. It will also.- be. clear that.numerousmodifications. can;

be made withoutdepartingfrom the spiritof our invention, and. wethereforev do-not intendto limit. ourselyes,-, except. as pointed.-out-inthe claims which follow.

Havingnow fully described our invention=;;. whatlwerelaim as.new.and-..-desire to. secure by Letters Patent is;.

1'. Adevice of,..the. character. described, comprising. anopen-sidedbin-like structure, a pair.

of bag-engaging hooks mounted at-the. tops otone side of said structure,a bag carryinga pair of bag-engaging .hooksreciprocably mounted at the.toprof the other side. of. said..structure,. springv means foryieldingly holding said bar against sa-i.d side, a pedal,..and. meanscomprisinga linkage between s.aid..bar and said pedal for moving.

said bar towardsaidfirst. mentionedside.

is pivoted to another extension 32' of the frame at 33 and ispivotallyanld slidably At its. outer- This action will. cause the point.34-;

2. A device of the character described, comprising an open-sidedbin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, a pair of bag-engaginghooks mounted at the top of one side of said structure, a bar carrying apair of bag-engaging hooks reciprocably mounted at the top of the otherside of said structure, spring means for yieldably holding said baragainst said side, a pedal, and'means comprising a linkage betweensaidbar and said'pedalior' moving said bar toward said first mentionedside.

3. A device of the character described, comprising. an-open-sidedbin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, a shelf extendingsubstantially horizontally from one side of said spring, means, andfixedhooks at the top of' the other side of saidstructure;

4. A device of the character: described, comprising an open-sidedbin-like structure having smooth inner surfaces, said structure beingmountedupon casters, a shelf: extending substantiall horizontallyfrom.one side of said structure adjacent the topv thereof, ahook carryingbarhaving guide rods slidably supported under said shelf whereby saidbar can be moved toward or away from saidside, spring means for urgingsaid. bar toward said: side; a pedal, and means com-prising a linkagebetween the bar and said. pedal for moving said bar awa 'fromsaid. sideagainst-the. compression of said springmeans, and fixed hooks at the topof the other side of said structure.

5-. A; device of the character described, com-- prising anopen-sidedvbin-like structure, bagengaging. elements mounted at the topof one side. of said structure, a bar carrying'bag-engaging:elementsreciprocably mounted at the-top of the: other side of said"structure, springmeans:

for yieldi-nglyholding said bar against said side,

a. pedal and Imeans com-prising: a linkage between said. bar and saidvpedal. for moving said bar toward said first mentioned side.

NICHOLAS SIEGMAN; IVAR'JOHNSON.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are'of recoi'd in the fileof-this' patent:

UNITED STATES. 'P'ATENT'S Number Name Date 1,175. ;9822 Parent Mar; 21,I916 1,431,726 Cupples o'er. 10, 1922*- 581,048: Foster Apr. 13,19261,603,151 Rothbord Oct; 12,1926 1,73'1g3 i 1" Laniz 0011515, 19291,781,164 Constable Nov; I1, 1930' 2,363,699" Smith' Nov 28; I944

